The Gray Petrel
John Cassin (1813-1869)
Plate 46, The Gray Petrel
From: Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America
Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1856
Paper dimensions: 10 ½" x 7 "
Framed dimensions: 16 ½” x 17 ½”
With text below image:
The Gray Petrel, also called the brown petrel, pediunker or grey shearwater is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae, or petrel family. It occurs in the open seas of the Southern Hemisphere, mainly between 49°S and 32°S. This bird averages 48 cm (19 in) in length and weighs 1,000 g (35 oz). It has brownish-grey mantle, back, uppertail coverts, and upperwings, as well as a white belly and ash-gray underwings and under-tail, and a yellow-green bill and pink-grey feet. These birds will dive from heights up to 33 feet when getting food. They breed on Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, the Prince Edward Islands, and other islands.